Willow Leaf Lake I've been skulking around here for awhile now reading all the story threads and i supported my roommate while she tried to do one of her own. So i decided that I'll give it a try too. Here goes and i hope you like it
Family #1 Mei Sun was the happiest she had ever been in her entire life as she was handed the keys to her own little house. It was perfect in her eyes. In fact her whole life was pretty much perfect at this point. Her fiance Heath, the playboy she had fallen for in college, was moving in the next day and she had been approached right after graduation by a doctor in some research program. Government funding meant far more opportunities than a normal research group. She was on the cutting edge of genetics and now she had her own house. Life was looking up with the sun shining and no rain clouds on the horizon. She smiled cheerfully and slid the key into the lock.
Family #2 "Whoa." Tomast said with slack-jawed admiration. He stood in the marbled courtyard of their extravagant new house. "Whoa? That's all you have to say?" Gabriel shook his head of golden curls at the simple expression from his lover. "What are we gonna do with all this space?" "We're going to spread out and enjoy it thats what." Gabriel walked into the art room where he promptly flopped on the couch. Tomast followed him and lovingly stroked the keys to the grand piano. He sat down on the bench and gazed on the beautiful piano with love. Gabriel sighed from the couch. "If you don't like it i can back out. I still have three days." "I like it, it's just more than i need is all. We should take it. It reflects us both in its own way." Tomast replied with a smile at Gabriel. Gabriel rose and wrapped his arms around Tomast. "Although there is one thing. No marble entryway with 'The Lacquers' engraved in it." Gabriel let out his melodic laughter. "You know I was mostly kidding about that right?"
Family #3 Katherine looked around her new living room with a critical eye. The movers hadn't damaged anything and they had put everything exactly where she had told them to. Still she had to make sure. Vincent walked in through the doorway with the movers and eyed her in his usual masked expression. "It's all where it is supposed to be." He nodded brisquely and then paid the movers who looked relieved to be leaving finally. After they had gone Vincent crossed the floor to his wife and took her hand in his. "What?" He didn't answer but led her up the stairs and covered her eyes. He walked across the long hallway and opened a door before removing his hand. She opened her eyes to see the most beautiful nursery she had ever even imagined. She turned rapidly and embraced her husband with a fierce hug. He laughed softly and pulled back from her just enough to kiss her softly. They both stood and admired the nursery for some time before retiring to their room for the night.
Family #4 It was the middle of the night when two teenagers arrived in Willow Leaf Lake at the abandoned house on Third street. No one saw them break away the boards keeping the doors and windows shut. The male teenager ushered the two little girls into the house while the female teenager carried the sleeping toddler up herself. After the young ones were safe in the house the two teenagers sat beside each other on the front porch. "I suppose we're going to need names now." The male said into the silence. "I've already picked one for me. Beilana." "I think I'll use Alec." Beilana sighed and rolled her eyes. "We're throwing that TV out." Alec smiled ruefully. "There are going to be a lot of questions." "Well we better think of some answers then." Alec stated in his own sarcastic matter-of-fact manner that drove her nuts. "We're gonna be okay you know that right?" She only nodded in response. They both turned their eyes to the stars in quiet contemplation.
Mei and Heath were married in a private ceremony in their own back yard. Two of her friends from school were there as was one of Heath's friends, Jill, though Mei didn't like her much. Mei, Heath, and their 8 year old daughter, Amelia, who had been born before they had even graduated lived quite comfortably in their little house for several months with no interruptions. Mei made friends at work fast, though her closest was Tomast, a fellow scientist that worked in her field. Mei sometimes heard hushed voices talking behind a closed door about an escape and the ones they lost but she couldn't make much sense out of it so she ignored it. Yes it all went swimmingly until the day Mei found out she was pregnant again. She was happy but frusturated at the same time because she would have to take off so much time from work. Heath, however, was ecstatic.
Gabriel had joined the police force while Tomast continued with his genetic research at the Institute. The last few months had seen an outbreak in thefts from department stores. The perpetrators eluded Gabriel and his entire precinct. No matter what traps they laid out the criminals always seemed to know where they were. It seemed like an inside job but that was a prospect Gabriel was in no mood to entertain. "You shouldn't frown so much, you'll get wrinkles." Gabriel chuckled softly to himself and leaned his head back over the couch to see and inverted Tomast preparing dinner. "And how was your day dear?" "Remember that girl i told you about at work?" "You're leaving me." Tomast rolled his eyes which prompted another chuckle from Gabriel. "Do you want to hear it or not?" Gabriel made the zipping-the-lips motion and grinned. "Well she found out she's pregnant so in about three months i'm gonna be taking on her work at the Institute." Gabriel sighed deeply. "It's just for a little while. When she comes back i promise i'll take some vacation time and we'll go away just the two of us." Gabriel pouted until Tomast came over and tickled him into laughter. They ate their pasta and talked politics until they both needed to sleep or pass out.
Lucilla and Carmela Andini were born in the middle of the night in the midst of much shouting. They were the most adorable twins that the nurses had seen in a long time. Vincent hired a nanny to watch them while Katherine recuperated although Katherine protested. However after a few days she was very relieved to have the nanny around. The two of them together could create quite a racket. Vincent's closest friend Danny was over a lot too. He cooed over the twins and usually held them in turn until he left. Usually it was only at Katherine's insistance that either of them were not carried around the house. "They need to learn to walk." She would say with exaggerated agrivation at her husband and Danny. She watched Danny tuck Carmela into her crib and then Lucilla. "We should really find you a wife Danny." He smiled slightly and then rolled his eyes. "Im working on it Kate. I promise" He kissed her forehead and headed out the door with a wave. Katherine's inner wheels went to work on selecting the perfect wife for danny from her long list of friends.
Alec hired a nanny under the guise of their "father" James. She came to the house and watched Erik, the toddler, while the rest were at school. Alec had gotten a part time job which left Beilana to care for Erik when she got out of school in the afternoon. School was proving to be more of a challenge than either of them had figured. Dierdre was roudy child who got in more fights than not and always won them, usually leaving her opponent with a broken nose or black eye. Chiyo learned things at an astonishing rate and memorized everything given to her. Therefore Dierdre's grades were very low and Chiyo was the highest in her class. The principal at the school wanted to speak with James as soon as possible. Which meant Alec had to pretend he was James on the phone more often then he wanted to. Beilana was a good student and excelled at the art she seemed to favor. Yet she never participated in physical education because competitions had always made her uncomfortable. Alec used every chance he got to show off. The girls in his class all had crushes on him and he flirted with each of them. All in all they seemed a normal family with a father who worked a lot. Of course no one was ever there when Alec and Beilana put the younger ones to bed at night. For instead of stories they were told about the bad place and the people who would take them back there if all the things they could do were ever revealed to the people in willow leaf lake. Dierdre always tried to challenge the logic behind what they were saying or asked questions that the answers to were beyond her ability to understand. Chiyo just took it all in quietly. Alec and Beilana prayed it would keep them safe when the day came that they would leave.
Wow; it's all very good so far. The two teens raising their siblings has me the most intriqued...I can't wait to find out what their secret it!
Elizabeth Sun was born on a quiet sunny day with quite a bit of raucous. Elizabeth was a screamer and no doubt about it. Even her older sister Amelia was annoyed with her in a few short weeks. Heath seemed to be the only one who could get her to quiet down or eat for that matter. Mei was at the end of her wits by the time her maternity leave was over and was greatful to get back to work. When she returned to work she found that Tomast had greatly advanced their collaborative project. They had been promoted, again, and now she was under strict regulations involving classified information. Though why restructuring DNA and combining it with bat and wolf DNA was a classified project was beyond her. Tomast had some comforting words involving her daughters but he admittedly had no experience of his own. Mei decided to invite Tomast and his husband Gabriel over for dinner that night which he was all to happy to accept. The rest of her return to work was peaceful with the exception of a visit from a head guy that seemed a little impatient for progress from another team. However since it didn't really effect her, she let it go.
Tomast came home from work much more relaxed than he had been in months. Gabriel, however, was nowhere near as relaxed. He seemed defeated and depressed. Tomast wisely waited for Gabriel to discuss what was wrong instead of prying like he wanted to. "I'm not sure if i can keep doing this." To his opening statement Tomast merely raised an eyebrow. "Being a cop I mean." "What brought this on?" "I got taken off that string of thefts case. You know i was really onto something. They seemed like children but they were fast. So fast i wouldn't have believed it if i didn't see it. I started asking questions and was finally getting somewhere but all of the sudden the captain walks in and reassigns me." "Did he say why?" "He said the government was taking the case. Apparently it had happened in other cities and he wanted all of my work so far on it." "I'm sorry but i'm not seeing the issue." "I guess you would have had to see his face. It felt like there was something else. Something he didn't want to tell me." "It's not a failure Gabriel. You were reassigned because of the government. Perhaps your captain was hiding something, his anger at the situation. It is my understanding that that cops usually get kicked out of the way when the goverment steps in." Gabriel sighed and muttered something about it being a possibility and thats when Tomast extended their dinner invitation to Mei's house. Gabriel heartily accepted. Anything to take his mind of the unease.
Vincent was on a telephone conference in his office when one of his associates interrupted. He placed a small manilla folder in front of Vincent, who opened it with haste. His eyes delighted on the information that had been presented in front of him. After reading through the contents he noticed the man was still in his office. "Something else, Danny?" "They're here." "In my office building?" "In Willow Leaf Lake." Vincent leaned back into his chair and nodded thoughtfully. "Want me to bring em in?" "No. Let them be for now."
It was another day in the lives of the seemingly orphaned Monticora family. Well almost. It was about right after the teenagers got out of school when Alec entered the house quickly slamming the door shut behind himself. He shut the blinds to the house as well though he peered between them occasionally. Beilana, who had stayed home with the sick toddler, whom they named Erik, came down the stairs with a worried look on her face. She just stared at Alec as he watched out the window. He turned to see her on the stairs then brushed past her up them. She followed him into his room where he began to pack up the small duffle bag that he had arrived with. "Your leaving me here to raise them on my own?" "They followed me home from school Bei. I can't stay." "So you leave me alone to raise them and fight on my own?" "You will be looked after." "By whom?" "Don't fight me Bei. Look Chiyo and Dierdre are almost teenagers themselves. Make sure they know that they are being hunted and to pass it on to Erik and then get out of here yourself." "You're the one who said we needed to stay together Alec. Now when it gets tough you're leaving me?" He sighed and turned to her. "Look, I'll keep in touch. I'm not going far and as I said I set it up so that you are looked after. According to my recon, they don't know you're all here. They think its just me." Beilana was near tears but she understood what he said made sense. She hugged him goodbye which he returned briefly. "Remember what I told you." He whispered in her ear. She sat down on his floor and did not get up again until she heard the door close behind him as he left.
A little message from the author I hope you all enjoy the story and it isn't too jumpy for you. I recently moved to a new place that doesn't have an internet connection just yet so for another month or so I will be unable to post pics. I do have them though so i'll maybe have like a photo album entry where the characters look back. Also, as some of you may have noticed there are several TV show references in my names and plot lines. While the names are closer to that on the shows, the plot lines are just bits and pieces. It will be easier to see as the story progress'. However i just want to say that i stake no claims to coming up with these names on my own or having been the first to come up with any ideas i use as a plot line. That being said enjoy and sorry for the delay ~The Author
Apologies so sorry for neglecting this story but a new family arrival is causing chaos, as they usually do i hope i can get bck to this story sometime in the future but for the moment it seems my duties lie elsewhere. Thanks for reading the short little bit that you did ~The Author
New family members most definitely take priority. Our story forum will probably be open by the time you find time to write again. We'll look forward to seeing there.
